LOS ANGELES – June 20, 2016 – For the second consecutive year, AXS TV puts the spotlight on one of the most creative and innovative filmmaking techniques with an exclusive special celebrating the best short films from the New York City Drone Film Festival 2016. The hour-long presentation premieres on Thursday, June 29, at 9pE/6pP, and is once again hosted by founder and festival director Randy Scott Slavin, who is on-hand to introduce each entry.

This year’s special highlights winning entries from the festival’s various categories, opening with YouTube stars Corridor Digital’s Narrative champion “The Smallest Empire,” which explores the creation of civilization. Then, hit the slopes with Sweetgrass Productions’ color-fueled feature “Afterglow: Lightsuit Segment,” which took home awards for Extreme Sports and Best In Show. Next up is the Technical Category winner “All Away, ”a music video shot in one take followed by the captivating Architecture Category masterpiece “Greystone Rising.” “The Shark Dronie,” Behind The Mask’s Dronie Category winner—named after the drone version of a selfie—takes viewers below the surface for an aquatic encounter, and whimsical theatre troupe Cirque Du Soleil wows with the Featuring Drones honoree “Sparked: A Live Interaction Between Humans And Quadcopters.”

Since its inception in 2014, the New York City Drone Film Festival has carved a unique niche as the first and only festival of its kind solely devoted to drone cinema. In order to be eligible for entry, each short film had to be no more than five minutes long, and must include footage that was at least 50 percent shot on a drone. This year’s event was a resounding success, receiving 350 submissions from 45 countries, and attracting over 5,000 attendees who gathered together for a three-day celebration that included interactive panels, an award ceremony screening, and a special “Day Of Drones” takeover at the Liberty Science Center, featuring continuous screenings of the festival’s films, as well as drone battles and drone races.

“’The New York City Drone Film Festival 2016’ is one of the most relevant and innovative events in the country,” said Michele M. Dix, AXS TV’s senior vice president, programming and development. “This year’s winners, like last year’s honorees, have shot ground-breaking cinematic visuals and we look forward to sharing them with our audience in this bold and exciting genre.”

“The New York City Drone Film Festival team is really excited to serve up the best drone films in the world to the AXS TV audience,” said Slavin.

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